In honor of Women’s Month, I will be featuring female singers, songwriters, and/or musicians during the month.

I saw this first one in a Billboard 100 list at hanspostcard and thought yes, this would be a wonderful choice. It’s been no secret that Aretha Franklin is one of my favorite female vocalists. Reading through the lyrics, they sound a little stalkerish, but let’s just say it isn’t for the sake of a listen to this winner.

“Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977’s anthology Looking Back. The most well-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA gold record.

With this peak at number three, Franklin became the first artist in the history of the Hot 100 chart to have a hit song peak at each position from one to ten on the chart. To date, only four other artists have achieved this feat: Marvin Gaye in 1983, Madonna in 1996, Drake in 2013, and Taylor Swift in 2015. Aretha’s version of the song was ranked by Billboard as the No. 11 song for 1974.

Though you don’t call anymore
I sit and wait in vain
I guess, I’ll rap on your door
(Your door)
Tap on your window pane
(Tap on your window pane)
I wanna tell you, baby
Changes I’ve been going through
Missing you, listen you
Until you come back to me
That’s what I’m gonna do
Why did you have to decide?
You had to set me free
I’m gonna swallow my pride
(My pride)
Gonna beg you to please, baby please see me
(Baby, won’t you see me?)
I’m gonna walk by myself
Just to prove that my love is true
(True)
All for you baby
Until you come back to me
That’s what I’m gonna do
Living for you, my dear
Is like living in a world of constant fear
Hear my plea
(Hear my plea)
I’ve got to make you see that our love is dying
(Gotta make you see, our love is dying)
Although your phone you ignore
Somehow I must, somehow I must
Somehow I must explain
I’m gonna rap on your door
(Your door)
Tap on your window pane
(Tap on your window pane)
I’m gonna camp by your steps
Until I get through to you
I gotta change your view, baby
Until you come back to me
That’s what I’m gonna do
Until you come back to me
That’s what I’m gonna do
Until you come back to me
That’s what I’m gonna do
I’m gonna rap on your door
(Rap on it)
Tap on your window pane
(Tap on it)
Open up, baby
I’m gonna rap on your door
(Rap on it)
Tap on your, tap on your, tap on your
(Tap on it)
Tap on your window pane
(Tap on your window pane)
I’m gonna rap on your door
(Rap on it)
Tap on your window pane
(Tap on it)
Songwriters: Paul Clarence / Wonder Stevie / Broadnax Morris Ervin